Read The Dawn of a Desperate War (The Godlanders War) for Free Online Page A
Authors: Aaron Pogue
any?”
“I’d hoped the Council would put me in contact with them, but apparently the two sides aren’t speaking anymore.”
“Then keep on the move. That’s all you’ll have. And don’t tarry. Get to Ephitel as fast as possible and end this. The longer you wait, the worse a threat she’ll be.”
Corin stared a moment.
Jeff’s brows were pinched in a frown. “What?”
“I’ve discussed these plans with half a dozen others, mostly druids, and you’re the first who seems to believe I’ll do it.”
“I’m the last of us who still believes it can be done. No matter what the others say, they’ve all given up.”
“Not I,” Corin said. “I’ll die first. He should not have taken Aemilia from me.”
“Good,” Jeff said, nodding in satisfaction. “But don’t die. Kill Ephitel. Your dying wouldn’t serve me at all.”
Corin chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Good,” Jeff said again, then he stepped closer. “How?”
“I have the sword—”
“No, I understand how you mean to kill him. But how will you find him?”
Corin had considered the matter carefully. He’d spent most of his time working on ways to flush out Ephitel, to draw the monster out where he could take him down, but he thought there might be a better way. He’d never hung much hope on it, but he’d seen more than one myth made real in the last year.
“Will I have to find him?” he asked. “Everyone knows that Ephitel and all the gods live like kings on the highest peak of Mount Attos.”
He held his breath, half expecting Jeff to laugh away the notion. Instead, the druid frowned in thought and bobbed his head uncertainly. “In a sense they do,” he said at last. “But not . . . not really.”
Corin raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if a manling climbs that mountain, all he’ll find at the top are bare rocks and an icy death.”
“I’m no mere manling.”
“You’re not. I’m convinced of that. But there’s strong fairy magic at work there. I’m not convinced New Soelig is even in this dream. It might be back in Faerie proper, with the mountain serving as a crossing point. Can you cross into Faerie?”
“I . . . I don’t know.”
“Most of the elves cannot. Not at Mount Attos, anyway. Even the ones who’ve sworn allegiance to Ephitel need an appointed guide to cross over into the high city. Nor can any among the druids. We tried back in the dark days after Gesoelig’s fall. We tried, but Ephitel has made New Soelig safe so that only his followers may enter there, and only the most trusted of them may go unescorted.”
Corin closed his eyes. “That cannot be the end of it. I will find a way in.”
“I’m telling you, there’s no way in. For all your strange powers , do you really believe you know more about the ways of Faerie than I do?”
Corin leaned back against one of the standing stones. He didn’t answer. Of course he didn’t think that. He barely understood the powers he did have.
But he was not about to abandon his quest either. He shrugged and spread his hands. “In all honesty, I never really believed it would be as easy as storming Ephitel’s palace in righteous justice . If I cannot go to the mountain, I’ll bring Ephitel to me.”
“How? Do you mean to pray to him?”
“No, I have a more compelling means than that.”
“You think you can provoke the Lord of War?”
“I’ve done it once before.”
Jeff considered him a moment, then he sighed. “Ephitel is arrogant and cruel, but he’s no fool. He won’t come at your summons, and if he does, he’ll come in force. You’re lucky to have survived him once.”
Corin didn’t answer that either. Lucky? Lucky enough to see Aemilia dead. Lucky enough to inherit all the miseries of this broken, worn-out world and its miserable masters.
“I won’t rest until he’s dead,” Corin said softly. “I plan to draw him out and put him down. Are you with me? I could use your
“I’d hoped the Council would put me in contact with them, but apparently the two sides aren’t speaking anymore.”
“Then keep on the move. That’s all you’ll have. And don’t tarry. Get to Ephitel as fast as possible and end this. The longer you wait, the worse a threat she’ll be.”
Corin stared a moment.
Jeff’s brows were pinched in a frown. “What?”
“I’ve discussed these plans with half a dozen others, mostly druids, and you’re the first who seems to believe I’ll do it.”
“I’m the last of us who still believes it can be done. No matter what the others say, they’ve all given up.”
“Not I,” Corin said. “I’ll die first. He should not have taken Aemilia from me.”
“Good,” Jeff said, nodding in satisfaction. “But don’t die. Kill Ephitel. Your dying wouldn’t serve me at all.”
Corin chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Good,” Jeff said again, then he stepped closer. “How?”
“I have the sword—”
“No, I understand how you mean to kill him. But how will you find him?”
Corin had considered the matter carefully. He’d spent most of his time working on ways to flush out Ephitel, to draw the monster out where he could take him down, but he thought there might be a better way. He’d never hung much hope on it, but he’d seen more than one myth made real in the last year.
“Will I have to find him?” he asked. “Everyone knows that Ephitel and all the gods live like kings on the highest peak of Mount Attos.”
He held his breath, half expecting Jeff to laugh away the notion. Instead, the druid frowned in thought and bobbed his head uncertainly. “In a sense they do,” he said at last. “But not . . . not really.”
Corin raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if a manling climbs that mountain, all he’ll find at the top are bare rocks and an icy death.”
“I’m no mere manling.”
“You’re not. I’m convinced of that. But there’s strong fairy magic at work there. I’m not convinced New Soelig is even in this dream. It might be back in Faerie proper, with the mountain serving as a crossing point. Can you cross into Faerie?”
“I . . . I don’t know.”
“Most of the elves cannot. Not at Mount Attos, anyway. Even the ones who’ve sworn allegiance to Ephitel need an appointed guide to cross over into the high city. Nor can any among the druids. We tried back in the dark days after Gesoelig’s fall. We tried, but Ephitel has made New Soelig safe so that only his followers may enter there, and only the most trusted of them may go unescorted.”
Corin closed his eyes. “That cannot be the end of it. I will find a way in.”
“I’m telling you, there’s no way in. For all your strange powers , do you really believe you know more about the ways of Faerie than I do?”
Corin leaned back against one of the standing stones. He didn’t answer. Of course he didn’t think that. He barely understood the powers he did have.
But he was not about to abandon his quest either. He shrugged and spread his hands. “In all honesty, I never really believed it would be as easy as storming Ephitel’s palace in righteous justice . If I cannot go to the mountain, I’ll bring Ephitel to me.”
“How? Do you mean to pray to him?”
“No, I have a more compelling means than that.”
“You think you can provoke the Lord of War?”
“I’ve done it once before.”
Jeff considered him a moment, then he sighed. “Ephitel is arrogant and cruel, but he’s no fool. He won’t come at your summons, and if he does, he’ll come in force. You’re lucky to have survived him once.”
Corin didn’t answer that either. Lucky? Lucky enough to see Aemilia dead. Lucky enough to inherit all the miseries of this broken, worn-out world and its miserable masters.
“I won’t rest until he’s dead,” Corin said softly. “I plan to draw him out and put him down. Are you with me? I could use your